The Summer at Last! Top and Skirt

Saturday, 27 July 2013

When summer arrived in the UK at long last I suddenly realised I had very little in the way of summer clothing. Luckily I was able to turn to my fabric and pattern stash and create a new outfit in no time.

I'll start with the top, which is made from a metre of cotton jersey I picked up for about £4.00 just because I loved the colour. The pattern I found some months ago on Etsy, after a search for jersey top patterns. It's this one by Tip Top Fit.

It came as a pdf download, so the usual taping together and cutting out was necessary. I actually made a muslin some months ago with an old jersey dress but I didn't get the neckline right so I never wore it (or blogged about it). The fit was spot on though. When you buy the pattern you include your measurements, and supposedly the pattern is drafted to your exact size. This certainly fit me without any alteration, but them jersey is pretty forgiving. As you can see I made some changes to this version. I omitted the frill completely, my boobs are big enough without frills adding to them, and consequently made the back as one piece. I also added sleeves from a Simplicity jersey dress pattern that I've had ages - I can't remember which one it is. The skirt is from New Look 6035, which I picked up recently, really for the trousers.

I used some linen/viscose blend that I've had in my stash for a couple of months. I made a few changes to the skirt as well, changing the zip to centre back rather than the side, and lengthening it by 4 inches. I didn't make a muslin, just made sure I'd cut pretty generous seam allowances to each side, then pin fitted it. The seam allowances are neatened with a hong kong finish and the hem is just a narrow double folded one. I think it's a really flattering shape for me, I'll definitely be making more of this style. In fact I have some bright pink linen/viscose waiting to be cut out already. I'm now off down the pub before it rains! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, whatever you're doing.

Ooh, lovely blouse! I've been meaning to buy some patterns from Tip Top Fit. Have you checked their website called Lekala Patterns? They have a set of free patterns for you to try out and probably a bigger selection of patterns. Nice to know that the measurements are spot on!